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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27118544">Patch you up</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFicReader01/pseuds/FanFicReader01'>FanFicReader01</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Library Chronicles [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Poets of the Fall</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Angst, Caring, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Oneshot, Slice of Life, Wounds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:54:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,955</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27118544</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFicReader01/pseuds/FanFicReader01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Hopecatcher is afraid something happened to Hamartia and his group.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Marko Saaresto/Olli Tukiainen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Library Chronicles [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Patch you up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marko is doing calculations on the new provisions and how to best distribute them over several days for his people. His fingers impatiently drum against his makeshift wooden desk. Olli should’ve been back by now. Why isn’t he? The Machine’s leader sighs, puts his pen and paper down and goes outside for some fresh air. The cold rushes into his lungs as soon as he steps out of the comfortable warmth of their hideout. He takes out his binoculars and scans the pass. No movement visible. As he continues to glare through the glasses, the man hears someone approach.</p><p> “Are you worried about our men?” a male voice says.</p><p>“Yes,” Marko mutters. He puts the binoculars down and looks at Sami, his personal medic and close friend. He’s a tall man with slick hair, sharp features and an endearing smile but with cold eyes. A trustworthy guy who had saved many of Marko’s men in the past, including his own with his medical prowess.</p><p> “They’ll arrive. I’m sure of it. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d come home later than expected.”</p><p>“How long has it been now,” Marko counters.</p><p>Sami rubs his chin and murmurs: “Two weeks, I think? They were going for a big haul, mind you.” The leader of the group nods reluctantly. Still, it gives him a bitter aftertaste. It’s not often that he has to send his best man Hamartia, <em>Olli</em>, out in the open like that. And when he does, the younger member often executes his mission with great precision and most of all, within time. So every deviation, worries Marko to no end, though he’ll not let that show on the outside. However, Sami, being a close friend of Marko’s as well, can see the subtle shift in his boss’ eyes.</p><p> “Have some faith,” the medic claps him on the shoulder before going back inside. Marko follows suit soon.</p><p> </p><p>--</p><p> </p><p>In the middle of the night, just as Marko had find some quiet to sleep a bit, he is disturbed by noises outside. Alerted, he grabs his combat knife and a silenced handgun with him.</p><p> “What’s going on?” he barks.</p><p>One of the newer Machine members exclaims: “Hamartia is back!” The mere mention of the name, makes Marko’s heart beat even faster than it already did. A new dash of adrenaline rushes through his body as he makes his way down to meet with his partner. The Machine group has returned but on first glance, three people seem to be missing and Olli is one of them. The ones Marko meets directly, are clearly hurt. What the hell has happened?</p><p> “<em>Järvi</em><em>!</em>” Marko exclaims. He tries to keep his cool.</p><p>“I’m already on it!” comes the voice of the medic somewhere else. Marko rushes toward the source and finds Sami already heading to his medical tent. The leader is hopeful yet frightened at the same time. The uncertainty and chaos gets slightly lowered when he finds his right hand man on the medical bed. The slight relief gets ripped away when Marko sees all the blood coming from his partner’s gut.</p><p> “<em>Olli!”</em> he desperately exclaims as he tries to take a closer look at the other blonde’s face.</p><p>“Marko, <em>please</em>. I need all the space I can get to patch him up. I know you’re concerned, but now you’re only in my way!” Sami hisses, not even looking at his leader, instead fully focused on Olli.</p><p>Marko opens his mouth, but loses his words. Slowly he closes his lips and takes a few steps back. Sami is right. Instead, Marko looks around to find a crutch and thuds down on it.</p><p> “Why don’t you go check up on the others? They’re hurt pretty bad too,” Sami implies.</p><p>“Alright,” Marko huffs.</p><p> “I’ll be… a-alright,” suddenly Olli coughs. He is in clear pain and can barely speak.</p><p>“I’ll be back for you. Sami is going to patch you up,” Marko weakly smiles not sure if Olli can even process his vision right now. Outside the tent, the other members of the raiding party have gathered. Some are already getting treated by members who’d stayed here.</p><p> “What the hell happened?”</p><p>“H-Hopecatcher… They…It was an ambush,” one of the female followers groans as she clutches onto her leg which seems to be pierced by gunfire.</p><p> “<em>Vittu</em>…,” Marko hisses. How did they get ambushed? Were others aware of their plans and if so, how? Was there a spy among them? He sits next to the young woman and investigates her wound. “I’ll help out.” He gets back into the tent to get more medical supplies for the injured. With the basic skills and experience gained on the way, he disinfects the woman’s leg and manages to seal a part of the wound.</p><p> “T-thanks, Hopecatcher. I-, I’m baffled we managed to get out alive. There were more than us this time… They must’ve expected us somehow despite our attempts to stay stealth,” the woman manages to inform Marko.</p><p> “Loose lips, boss,” another member grunts as he limps toward the duo. Marko’s eyes widen and slowly stands up. “Elaborate on that, please.”</p><p> “Some of our members got a bit drunk in town… They must’ve slipped their tongue. I knew we should’ve pulled out of that mission, from the looks of the inhabitants alone.”</p><p> “What about Hamartia?”</p><p>“He wanted to take the risk. A determined guy, really. We still managed to get tons of supplies back… But it costed two people’s life and your second hand’s body.”</p><p> “The other two…,” Marko looks away as he tries to remember who he’d send out into the field. As of late, the Machine had gained a lot of new members and Marko couldn’t always keep track of everyone. He should find a solution for that. A better control or something.</p><p>“One of the newer gals and Aaron. Ironically, the one with the uncensored mouth.”</p><p> “The ones who couldn’t keep his mouth shut and got drunk?,” Marko guesses.</p><p>Now the girl and guy nod in unison. Their leader quietly nods. Maybe this was for the better then. He doesn’t enjoy the death of his members, but if they turn out to be too much of a liability, they’re better off without them. “We’ll mourn them tomorrow. I want to make sure those who made it back, actually stay alive.”</p><p> </p><p>Once Marko has managed to help the other members as best as he can, he returns to Sami and Olli. The medic and leader meet at the entrance of the tent.</p><p> “He’ll make it,” Sami says and smiles when he can see the imaginary dark clouds disperse from his leader’s face. “Just needs some serious rest and a good caretaker.”</p><p> “Both won’t be a problem then,” Marko smiles in response and goes directly to the bed. Olli is laying there shirtless with a lot of bandages wrapped around his abdomen. His eyes are closed. Drops of sweat have formed on his forehead and chest. He flinches slightly when he feels the sudden presence of another body.</p><p> “M-Marko… Is that you?” comes the younger man’s weak voice.</p><p>“Yes, hush now, my dearest. Don’t burden your voice like that. I’m here for you now.” The taller blond scans his partner’s body and carefully rests his own hand on Olli’s. Upon the contact, the latter moves around so he can slightly squeeze Marko’s hand. Now a faint smile occurs on his thin lips.</p><p> “If you need anything, just tell me.”</p><p>“I’m okay… I’m sorry-, I… I failed you, Marko.”</p><p> “You didn’t. I’m glad you made it back home,” Marko immediately discards his partner’s statement.</p><p>“But the provisions-”</p><p> “One of our men said you still got away with enough,” the older man immediately cuts him off. “Just rest, Olli. You need it. You did your best.”</p><p> “I’m not sure of that… I’m growing weaker,” the younger blond laments before coughing. Marko quickly bends over to support him.</p><p> “You’re not.”</p><p>“I’m getting older,” Olli chuckles and Marko can’t help but crack a light smile at that.</p><p> “It’s okay. Come on, try to sleep a bit. I’ll remain here by your side.”</p><p>“I know you will.”</p><p>Marko sighs in relief when his partner has finally turned to a calm, breathing pace. Damn it, whoever did this to Olli, should pay. But Marko can’t allow himself to be driven by such petty revenge fantasy. As long as he has the other man by his side, alive and well, it will be alright. Besides, his people, the Machine needs him here at the heart.</p><p> </p><p>The following day, Marko holds a speech to his followers and they take the time to mourn their fallen brother and sister. Afterward, Sami and he carry Olli to Marko’s bedroom. The bed can hold two people but Marko has already put up a cot next to it. He can’t allow himself to accidentally hurt his partner.</p><p> “All it took to officially sleep here, was a shot to the stomach,” Olli laughs.</p><p>Marko jokingly smirks: “It looks like the wounded man has already healed enough. Sami, you mind leaving Olli to his own devices then?”</p><p> “With pleasure,” Sami jumps in on the joke. Together they lay the smaller blond down on the bed.</p><p>“You’ll have to change the bandages thrice a day, though. Maybe more if the bleeding continues but normally I’ve stitched you back properly,” the medic points out, looking at the two men.</p><p> “I’ll make sure that happens,” Marko nods.</p><p>Once the two men have their privacy, the leader of the Machine reaches down to his partner and they share an intimate kiss. “I’m glad you’re alive,” he whispers.</p><p> “Of course you are. Now please, help with these bandages.”</p><p>Together they manage to loosen and remove the soaked bandages and Marko gets a new roll. With utter care he cleans the wounds. Olli grimaces but keeps his cool when the antibiotics come in contact with his blemished skin.</p><p> “I’m sorry,” Marko apologises.</p><p>“I’m f-fine, I’ve had worse,” Olli chuckles and bites back a groan when Marko presses a fresh piece of bandage against the bruised skin.</p><p> “Guess we’ll have to lay low again. But now we have more food and new weaponry. All thanks to you all risking your lives.”</p><p> “And whose idea was it to send his best outside, hm?”</p><p>Marko rolls his eyes at the sarcastic comment. “It was a necessary call I had to make. You know I’d rather do it myself.” With agile, gentle fingers Marko fastens the bandages but before he can move away, Olli grabs his wrists and holds him close for another kiss, more playful than the one before.</p><p> “Stay a bit longer.”</p><p>“I will. I was just going to clean up this mess. I’m not letting you out of my sight any soon,” Marko winks and Olli let’s go of his wrists. When Marko gets back, he thuds down on the edge of the mattress. Almost as a reflex, the smaller man rests his head on the other’s shoulder.</p><p> “I think I’ll profit from this extra time together.”</p><p>“Me too. I’ve been so caught up in work, I barely got time to do fun things together. Things that don’t involve plotting and fighting.” Marko hums and watches how his fingers slowly entwine with Olli’s.</p><p> “Well… I wouldn’t call <em>this</em> a fun thing to do together.”</p><p>“But it can be intimate. And sensual,” Marko sniggers.</p><p> “You’re right. We haven’t gotten such a close moment since forever,” Olli hums. He then closes his eyes. He’s still clearly tired. The older man brushes his fingers through the young man’s hair, slowly massaging his scalp and waiting for Olli to fall asleep peacefully before getting off the bed. He can still run a quick errand before returning to his partner.</p>
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